John Davidson and Jacob Bryant have been paying their dues. The duo is known professionally as John & Jacob. Along with bandmates and fellow Birmingham natives Jake Thrasher and Trevor Davis, as well as Texan Austin Smith, they made the rounds on the festival circuit this summer. The band played such high-profile events as Hangout Music Festival and Bonnaroo before opening for Kacey Musgraves at a number of stateside and European shows in advance of the Aug. 26 release of their self-titled, debut album. John & Jacob point to Birmingham Mountain Radio’s Scott Register and NPR Music’s Ann Powers, who lives in Tuscaloosa, as early supporters and direct contributors to the band’s success. “It’s really cool for Birmingham to take us to another league and claim us from the start,” says Davidson. Read more “Working Their Way Up” at bhammag.com.

It’s not a food truck, but neither is it quite what you expect of a restaurant. When Hotbox opened in a converted Airstream trailer behind Parkside Café, it introduced a new type of dining establishment. The restaurant is a collaboration among chefs Matt Ralph and Ryan Champion, both of whom most recently worked at Bottega, and business partner Ed Stacy. Read more “Out-of-the-Box Dining” at bhammag.com.

“I’m here because I want to try something more interesting than Bud Light.”

“I’m here because I need a night out and I was able to find a babysitter.”

“I’m here because I love craft beer!”

The latter answer has become increasingly common as attendees introduce themselves at Hops for Honeys, a Birmingham, Alabama-based women’s beer education group. Those women are part of a larger trend. Overall United States beer sales dropped 1.9% in 2013, according to the Brewers Association, which tracks the $14.3-billion craft beer industry. But craft beer numbers moved in the opposite direction, with a 17.2% increase and 49% export growth. Read more “Hops for Honeys” at pastemagazine.com.

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Buy the books

I hope you'll consider purchasing a copy of my books at your local bookstore, supporting that business and keeping the money in your local economy. However, if you'd prefer to shop online, you can find them at the following sites:
Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City
Books-a-MillionBarnes & NobleAmazon
"Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music"
Books-a-MillionBarnes & NobleAmazon
"Balancing Act: Yoga Essays" is available from a variety of ebook retailers, including Smashwords.